Justin Lin Says ‘Space Jam 2’ Is Progressing, Slowly

You know how when Looney Tunes like Road Runner would run somewhere and their legs would spin around really fast but they wouldn’t actually get anywhere before they would finally zoom off out of frame? We’re still in the legs spinning fast, not actually getting anywhere phase of Space Jam 2development.

Supposedly, this sequel to the inexplicably beloved ’90s live-action/animation hybrid starring Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes is coming, starring LeBron James in the lead human-who-is-extremely-good-at-basketball role, and directed by Justin Lin, the man who gave us several excellent Fast & Furious movies and the terrific Star Trek Beyond. Word that Lin would direct the project arrived last May, but there’s been barely any new info since then. At the TCA conference, /Film got to speak with Lin, who had this to say about the material’s prospects:

Warner Brothers has been great ... Everybody at the studio’s been calling, ‘Let’s go, let’s go’ and I’m like [it’s] not right yet. To me, the challenge is we have actors who are also professional athletes, so schedule is something that is tough. I’ve been really wanting to push that genre, but to do that you need the right amount of time. So there’s a logistical challenge but also creatively, to do a sequel 20 years later with a new cast and also to be able to, in a relevant way, bring the Looney Tunes back. That’s very important to me to do it right. I feel I’ve done nine different iterations already and we’re going to keep going, but we’re getting closer every day.

Nine different iterations? Of Space Jam 2? That seems ... high. Still, if anyone director could get me interested in Space Jam, it’s Justin Lin. Or Werner Herzog. But Lin is the one who’s actually making it, so that’s still pretty good.